Locking key for adjoining cabinet units



I Feb. 25, 1958 w, sn- 2,824,775

LOCKING KEY FOR ADJOINING CABINET UNITS Filed Dec. 6, 1954 0 .ZTz-az enfar Pic/Lard W flit/a2" United States Patent LOCKING KEY FOR ADJOINING CABINET UNITS This invention relates to attaching means for shelving or cabinet units to hold them together in alignment and more particularly to a simple key which may be inserted in aligned openings in end members of the units and which upon turning will lock the units together.

The instant application constitutes an improvement over the Richard W. Sitler patent, No. 2,675,287, issued April 13, 1954, entitled Locking Key For Adjoining Cabinet Units.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel locking key which lends itself to economical manufacture on a large production scale.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking key which is more durable in construction and has an improved disposition for resisting any propensities of the key to become misaligned with the slots in the cabinet units such as shelving either in vertical or horizontal alignment.

In accordance with the general features of this inven tion there is provided attaching means for cabinet units such as shelving and the like including end members provided with pairs of spaced openings such as keyhole shaped holes and capable of alignment or inter-registration, the attaching means being insertable into the registered openings to position fixedly and hold together the units by frictional camming engagement with the margins of the members defining the openings, each of the attaching means comprising a slotted edge key of angular crosssection inserted lengthwise through the aligned openings and turned therein with slotted edge portions in the openings and in camming engagement with opposite side surfaces of the members, the edge portions of the key being angled by virtue of the cross-section and thereby engaging the surfaces along a generally V-shaped line affording a firmer bond with side surfaces.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of a pair of cabinet or shelf units held together end to end by my novel key means;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on substantially the line IIII of Figure 1 looking downwardly;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of end members of my units showing a key in the aligned openings and turned into interlocking position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view partly in section showing the key inserted lengthwise in the aligned openings prior to turning in interlocking engagement; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 taken on the line V-V of Figure 2, showing the position of the key after it has been turned into interlocking position.

As shown on the drawing:

The reference character designates generally a unit which may be of the cabinet or shelf type and is of a well-known construction in the steel shelving or cabinet field. Any number of these units may be secured together p 2,824,775 Patented Feb. 25, 1953 m ce 2 end to end or stacked upon each other by my novel key means and as illustrative of the invention I have shown two such units in Figurel secured together.

Each unit 10 includes an angular end supporting member having flanges 11 and 12. The flanges 11 and 12 each has a given size opening 13 which may be of any desired shape such as a keyhole-shaped opening with converging side margins and which in the embodiment of this invention extends vertically although it could be located in any desired position or at any desired angle.

The opening in one flange 11 is so positioned as to be registrable with or aligned with the corresponding opening in the adjoining end member as shown in Figure 2.

Cooperable with these aligned openings 13 for interlocking the end members of the units together are a plurality of key means each of which comprises an angular steel key 15. This key 15 has spaced pairs of slots 16 and 17 in its edges and each pair defines a reduced section 18 between the slots.

In the use of the key it is inserted lengthwise as shown in Figure 4 through the openings 13 until its reduced sections 18-18 are in the aligned openings 13. Then upon turning of the key its slots receive the edges of the marginal portions of the aligned openings so that the edges of the key are brought into engagement with opposite side surfaces of the flanges 11 of the end supporting members of the units. When in this position, as shown in Figure 5, the units are tightly cammed together and are held by the key 15 which can be easily removed when it is desired to separate the cabinets.

To be more specific the key, by reason of its angular cross-section, presents angular edges 2020 (Figs. 3-5) defined by slots 16-17 which edges are generally at right angles to each other and converge in a peak 21 at the medial plane of the vertical key-shaped slot 13. As a consequence these angular or inclined edges 20 engage divergent portions of the side surfaces of flanges 11 which affords much firmer bearing of the key edges on surfaces than would be the case were the edges straight, rather than angular. This firmer bearing is in part due to the overall efi'ective area of application of wedging pressure against the flanges 11 being augmented. Further the angular arrangement of edges 20 augments the resistance of the key to transverse bending and shearing forces. Then, too, the converging or V-shaped areas of contact on opposite sides of the peak 21 enable the wedging or camming pressure to be evenly applied along inclined lines on opposite sides of the vertical medial plane of slot 13.

It will now -be perceived that the instant angular key construction when used in attaching cabinet units will afford a more stable connection not readily subject to displacement or cocking of the key. In addition, upon the occurrence of undue stresses and strains on the key, the key will be more durable in nature by virtue of the angular construction of same.

I claim as my invention:

In combination cabinet units each having supporting members provided with aligned pairs of spaced key receiving openings capable of inter-registration and attaching means insertable into the registered openings in said members to position fixedly said units in spaced relation by frictional camming engagement with margins of said openings, each of said attaching means comprising a key having spaced pairs of slots providing reduced sections between the pairs of slots, said key being inserted lengthwise through said aligned openings and being turned with edges of its slots cammingly engaging margins of said openings with each reduced section being disposed in one of said aligned openings, said key being of angled crosssection with divergent legs thereof having at the ends of said legs said edges of said slots including slotted edge portions defining said slots with bottom and inner side 7 portions of said slotted edge ortions inclined relative to and on opposite sides of the apex of said angled key in converging relation for wedging engagement along inclined' lines with opposing portionsof said edge portions defining said openings whereby the overall ,efiective' area 7 of application of Wedging pressure against said members is augmented and cocking of said key is'minimized'.

References Cited in the file of misfit; J v V V UNITED STATESVPATENT'S Levene July 25,1922 7 Bales .Q ...V July 22, 1952 Bell c "Sept. 8, 1953, 

